To properly understand the Lord’s question in verse 2 we
must look at the context in which it was asked. Many of His disciples were from
the region known as Galilee and, as such, were
considered by the locals to be “country bumpkins” visiting the big city! They
were awed by the magnificent Temple King Herod had built for the Jewish people
(as a political ploy to gain their cooperation) and in their enthusiasm they
wanted to call the Lord’s attention to it. In other words their naïve attitude
was, “Hey, have You seen all the pretty buildings?”(I capitalize the word “You” in this case
because Jesus Christ was, and still is, God incarnate).

What they obviously did not realize is that because of His
deity the Lord knew the tragic fate that awaited those “pretty buildings” in
the future. That is why He asked the rhetorical question, “Do you (really) see all these?” And
then He then made this prophetical statement:

“Truly I tell you, there will not be left here
one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” Matthew 24:2 (Amplified Bible).

In A.D.70 the Roman general Titus besieged Jerusalem and once it fell he destroyed the
city. It is said that during this rampage wood was stacked all around the Temple and set on fire.
The heat became so intense that the building stones crumbled, the gold
ornamentation melted and ran out on the ground—which was then picked up by the
soldiers and carried away as part of the treasures looted from the city. But
was this the utter and absolute destruction the Lord was talking about?

The following pictorial depiction and excerpt are from “Wikipedia the
free encyclopedia,” on the Internet:

(Frontal view of
the model of Herod's Temple currently in the IsraelMuseum)

“Herod's Temple in Jerusalem
was a massive expansion of the TempleMount and construction
of a completely new and much larger Jewish Temple by King Herod the Great
around 19 BCE. Although the SecondTemple was completely removed and a new "third"
temple was built to replace it, Herod's Temple
is not commonly called the ThirdTemple, because sacrifices
continued during the construction process.

The Temple was destroyed by Roman troops under
Titus during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The most complete ancient account
of this event is The Jewish War by Flavius Josephus. Later Roman and
Byzantine governors used the remains to build palaces, a Temple of Jupiter,
and a Church. It was not until the Dome of the Rock was built between 687
and 691 that the last remnants of the Temple
were taken down.

The Temple itself was probably located on the
site of what today is the Dome of the Rock. The gates let out close to
Al-Aqsa.” [End of quote, emphasis mine].

The statement concerning the
“last remnants of the Temple” being taken down in A.D. 687-691 is emphasized
because I am convinced the Lord’s comment “there shall not be left here one stone upon another that
will not be thrown down” anticipates a total fulfillment of which the destruction
of A.D.70 was only a precursor! The reason I believe this is because the
emphasis appears to be upon the place (“here”)—which of course is the TempleMount—rather
than the stones themselves. And since there were still portions of the Temple
that had not been taken down until building began on the Dome of the Rock, for
all practical purposes stones used for building purposes continued to be
stacked “one upon another” on the Temple Mount—where they remain until this
day.

However, at some point in the
future Israel is going to
build another Temple on that same site which,
along with the city of Jerusalem,
is going to be destroyed by a flood. And the incredible power contained
within a torrent of water can easily sweep aside stones weighing many tons! Then
after that takes place I believe the Lord’s prophecy concerning the building
stones will be completely fulfilled:

“And after the sixty-two weeks [of years]
shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing
[and no one] belonging to [and defending] Him. And the people of the [other]
prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood; and even to the end there shall be war, and desolations are decreed” Daniel 9:26 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).

I realize that most commentaries attribute this destruction to the Roman
general Titus in A.D.70, but the phrase “Its end shall come with a flood”
appears to tie in with a similar statement in the Book of Revelation:

“But the woman was supplied with the two wings
of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into
the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and
fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260
days). 15 Then out of his mouth the serpent spouted forth water
like a flood after the woman, that she might be carried off with the torrent.
16 But the earth came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground
opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had
spouted from his mouth” Revelation
12:14-16 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).

The “flood” of Daniel 9:26
could be a figurative description of the Roman army sweeping over Jerusalem (as is claimed by many), but I am convinced it
refers to a literal flood of water that will destroy the TribulationTemple.

That there will be a rebuilt Temple during the
Tribulation Period is confirmed in the Books of 2 Thessalonians and Revelation:

“Let no one deceive or beguile you in
any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the
predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has
come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of
perdition), 4 Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and
insolently against and over all that is called God or that is
worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God,
proclaiming that he himself is God” 2
Thessalonians 2:3-4 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).

“A reed [as a measuring rod] was then given to
me, [shaped] like a staff, and I was told: Rise up and measure the sanctuary of
God and the altar [of incense], and [number] those who worship there” Revelation 11:1 (Amplified Bible).

But getting back to the subject
of a flood destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, my first reaction
was that of doubt because how could a flood destroy a city that is well over
2000 feet above sea level and has no appreciable body of water nearby? Of
course Satan is capable of such destruction using supernatural means, but in an
attempt to see if it was theoretically possible from a purely human perspective
I did some research on the Internet and here is what I found:

“The ground upon which Jerusalem stands is
formed by a plateau extending southward from the Palestinian mountain range,
and cut by valleys into several heights. The culmination of the range or
watershed runs west of the city, and the surface on which the city is built
slopes to the east and south, and on the south and southeast sinks abruptly
into deep valleys. The watershed northwest and north of the city rises to a
height of 2,675 feet above the Mediterranean; the lowest place in modern Jerusalem is 2,360 feet in
elevation; while the whole city is situated at a lower elevation than the
country round about…. The preceding description shows that the drainage of
the region is from north to south or from northwest to southeast. While the
watershed is at an elevation of 2,675 feet, the union of the Kidron and Hinnom
valleys is only 2,065 feet above the Mediterranean;
there is therefore no deadwater in the brooks which in the rainy season flow
through these valleys. Part of the drainage is subterranean. The hill country
of Palestine is poor in water, and such expressions as "the brook
Kidron" may convey a false impression if it is not recalled that
"brook" means no more than the Arabic "wadi," a natural
channel of drainage for the flow of the rainy season, dry the rest of the year
except near a spring. In the upper and lower parts the valleys are tilled;
between the city and the Mount of Olives the
floor of the valley is denuded of soil. In the Kidron water flows only
during exceptional rainfall or when there is a quick melting of a heavy
snowfall.” [End of quote, emphasis mine].

Then from the web site “Torah on the web” we have the
following comments about the topography of the KidronValley:

This valley emerges from the north
of the OldCity,
in the region of the cave
of Shimon ha-Tzaddik, and
continues eastward and south-eastward, via Wadi Joz.From there it heads southward, between the
Mount of Olives on the East and Mount Moriah on the West, and then eastward of
the City of David and westward of the village of Silwan, and south-eastward
via Ein Rogel, to the Dead Sea. [End of quote, emphasis mine].

Plus we find
this description of the KidronValley in an article on
the subject by Wikipedia:

“An ephemeral stream flows through it with
occasional flash floods in the rainy winter months… The KidronValley
runs along the eastern wall of The Old City of Jerusalem, separating the TempleMount
from the Mount of Olives…” (Emphasis mine).

So it is
fairly reasonable to conclude that Jerusalem
would be “in the crosshairs” if a massive flood were triggered by rainfall,
snow melt, or a combination of both in the watershed elevations to the west and
north of the city. And it is important to note that the water runoff would
empty into the Dead Sea because the ancient city of Petra lies approximately 50
miles south of it and would be in line with the general path the “woman” (God’s
elect among the people of Israel during the Tribulation Period) would take if
she was desperately trying to get there—the place that many believe to be the
retreat in the wilderness to which she will flee. And since the shores of the
Dead Sea is the lowest elevation on earth (1378 feet below sea level), it could
possibly be the “ground that opens its mouth to swallow up the stream of
water.”

And I am of the opinion that all the events recorded in
Matthew 24 and Luke 21 take place during the Tribulation Period—even though
verses 4 through 7 of Matthew 24 and verses 8 through 11 of Luke 21 are clearly
true of the days in which we now live. But all of them are the inevitable
result of sinful human nature and will continue to exist after the Church is
removed at the Rapture. Plus the Lord says of them that they are “the beginning
of sorrows” (Matt.24:8). The Greek word translated “sorrows” is odin and can refer to the labor pains
experienced by a woman giving birth. The pains begin slowly and then become
more frequent and more painful in intensity as things progress. And we see the
same type of frequency and intensity demonstrated in the Book of Revelation as
God’s judgments are poured out upon the world.

Attributing at least some of Matthew 24, Luke 21, etc, to
the times in which we now live has caused some doctrinal misinterpretations.

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the
same shall be saved” Matthew 24:13
(KJV).

This refers to those who manage to survive the Tribulation
Period and includes both saved and lost as evidenced by the fact that the Lord
will separate the sheep from the goats prior to the Millennial Kingdom
(Matt.25:33). But many have stumbled over this verse because they think they
must “hold out until the end” to be sure of God’s salvation. Even though
believers must persevere in the faith (and if they are genuine, they will),
our salvation does not depend in any way upon our “holding on” to it. The Lord
holds on to us and not vice versa!

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come. Matthew 24:14 (KJV)

Some still take this to refer to the gospel of God’s grace
that is being preached today, but such is not the case. Note that the Lord said
“this gospel of the kingdom”
will be preached. In other words it was the same gospel He and the disciples
preached prior to His crucifixion and resurrection: “Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”The MillennialKingdom was being offered to Israel at that
time and they refused it. But the same message will once again be preached
during the Tribulation Period. In the meantime believers who are now living in
the Church Age must preach the gospel of God’s grace, not the gospel of the
kingdom being “at hand.”

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” Matthew 24:36 (KJV).

People still interpret this verse to mean that no one can know the “day
and hour” of the Rapture. But taken in context this is clearly a reference to
the Second Coming of Christ. And the reason no one can know it is because God
is going to shorten the last days of the Great Tribulation (Matt.24:22) and
only He knows exactly how many days will be involved. Also the Jews will be so
busy trying to run for their lives that they will not be expecting their
Messiah to come:

“And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened”
Matthew 24:22 (KJV).

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” Matthew 24:44 (KJV).

Can believers know the “day and hour” (but maybe not the exact year) of
the Rapture? You be the judge:

“But you are not in [given up to the power of]
darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 (Amplified Bible).

Each year in September/October
I really get excited as the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah—the “Feast of Trumpets”—approaches.
Why? Because I am convinced that whenever the Rapture occurs, it will be
on the last day of that celebration as Jewish Rabbis all over the world blow a final, long and distinctive
blast on their “shofar” ram’s horn trumpets.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed” 1
Corinthians 15:51-52 (KJV, emphasis mine).

And by the way—Rosh Hashanah falls
on September 30th this year. Will I “see you in the air” then?
Oh I hope so!!!!

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